New Alzheimer’s drugs are coming. Here’s what you need to know
The drugs clear sticky plaques from the brain. But they are not for everyone, experts caution
Yet another new drug can temporarily hold off the mental decline caused by Alzheimer’s disease, scientists say.
The drug, called donanemab, slowed cognitive decline by about 35 percent over the course of a year and a half, according to data presented July 17 at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam and published the same day in JAMA.
The finding comes just weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to another drug, called lecanemab (brand name Leqembi), that can also slow the disease’s progression. Another similar drug, known as aducanumab (Aduhelm), received accelerated approval in 2021, though access to it is still very limited.